Tupac - Impact on Generations

When thinking of the Hip-Hop industry, one of the first names that comes to mind is Tupac Shakur. Shakur was born in the Bronx on June 16, 1971. He was reared by his mother Afeni Shakur who was an active member of the Black Panthers. Tupac's family later relocated to Oakland, California, where he spent much of his time on the street. As a kid, he was always getting himself into trouble, and he was very lonely. He started writing songs to keep himself out of trouble. An article from VIBE magazine "Troubled Times for Tupac Shakur" quotes Tupac. "'I was lonely, I didn't have no big brothers, no big cousins until later. I could remember writing songs.... I remember writing poetry.' " 1 Tupac was talented in the areas of poetry, songwriting and acting from the beginning. He started acting at a young age, and he joined the rap group Digital Underground, performing as a dancer in 1990. In an interview with MTV, John Singelton, the writer-director of Boyz in the Hood and Poetic Justice, says that Tupac was a natural born actor; he knew how every role should be played.2 Tup...

...jected his music due to the profane language and his gangster lifestyle; however, his fans will always appreciate the awesome quality of his music. His death brought renewed attention to Inner-City violence as well as corruption in the rap music industry and East Coast /West Coast feuds. It also put a dent in the music world and left a void in the hearts of his family and friends. As time goes on, Tupac's music will continue to thrive through radio and album sales, but his legacy will live on through the hearts of everyone whom he